TigersToBe

In the Cub Scout Program, first-grade boys are Tigers. (A boy is eligible to join once he has completed Kindergarten, or on June 2 of his Kindergarten year, however, his application can be submitted in advance.)

If your son is about to finish Kindergarten, and if you sign him up before the May Pack meeting, we'll induct him (present him with his book and neckerchief) at said Pack meeting. (If you sign up at the May Pack meeting, we cannot guarantee we will have enough Books and Neckerchiefs there.)

During the summer there are several Council day-camps that are special for Tigers. There are also at least three major Pack outings and several Council day-camps for all Cub Scouts.

If it is summer and your son has completed Kindergarten, you can attend one Pack outing without obligation to join. (You need to sign up to attend Council activities.) We encourage prospective families to come meet the group.

During his first-grade year, boys earn the Tiger Badge. They do this principally by completing each of the following Tiger required adventures
Backyard Jungle
Games Tigers Play
My Family's Duty to God
Team Tiger
Tiger Bites
Tigers in the Wild and
one Tiger elective adventure of the den's or family's choosing.

While your boy is working on advancement, you can help. Besides signing his handbook as Akela once he has done his best, let your den leader know of any completed parts of achievements at your next den meeting. In addition, your boy, with your help, will keep track of his own advancement on the Tiger Trail chart in his Handbook. This encourages him and helps him see his progress toward the Tiger Badge.

The advancement requirements are written in such a way as to give you room to customize activities for your boy and your den. There are no performance requirements for Tigers. Boys should never be "tested" or placed in a position where they will not be successful. Simply participating in the activities and doing his best constitutes completion.

For your boy to receive the full benefit of the program, it is important for you, his adult partner, to make every effort to attend meetings regularly.

At the end of the school year, he will "bridge" into a Wolf (Cub Scout) den. Later, he will be in a Bear den, and then he'll become a Webelos Scout. In Pack 794, Webelos dens choose their name at the end of their Bear Year. But these are ove ra year in the future.

After the May Pack meeting, (1) the Tiger Den Leader or Pack Trainer will be in contact with you to plan an August kick-off Den meeting. (2) If there is any Tiger who has registered and paid but not yet received his Tiger Handbook and neckerchief, please let us know. The Book will get to you ASAP; the neckerchief will be presented at the next Welcome To The Pack opportunity (either the August campout or the September Pack meeting).

Tiger Handbook - For Tigers, the Tiger's "adult partner" is responsible for any completions that are not part of the scheduled meetings. Parents can sign off any item that the Scout has completed. Please let your Den Leader know at each meeting which sections were completed. A goal is to plan out the year to have enough signed off to earn the Tiger Badge by the Blue & Gold Dinner in February. This does not mean you can't plow ahead and work on anything anytime that sparks his interest. Please do!

Please read the intro guide for Tiger Partners and Purpose and Character Connections sections in the Tiger Book.

The Bobcat Badge is the first goal. Learning the Scout items and the Bobcat Child Protection "what if" situations (item #8). The 8 mandatory items can be completed in the summer. It is a good start to get the Bobcat Badge at the September Pack Meeting or at the August Campout. We will open most Den meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance and some form of the first seven Bobcat items.

Den Meetings - At the Tiger level, parents are expected to attend all meetings with their Scouts. In mid- to late-August we will start our Den meetings. We will start working on the Tiger Badge requirements. The electives are a lot of fun and some of them can be done at home any time. Den meetings are once or twice a month (once in holiday months like December). The meetings should be about an hour or so. Parents should share in the hosting of Den meetings. Once we have a list and schedule of meetings, Den families will be asked to volunteer to host some of them for items in which they have interest.

There are typically not any Den-specific meetings over the summer. (However, a Pack Committee member will probably lead the first Tiger Den meeting as an example.) There are several fun Pack events and other events offered by the Council.

Pack Meetings - Pack meetings will be once a month during the Cub Scout Year (parallels the school year) and provide a large forum for the Scouts to be recognized for their awards. Pack meetings also have special events, such as Pinewood Derby, the Blue & Gold Dinner, the Raingutter Regatta, and water rockets.

Uniforms - There are two uniforms for meetings:

• The Class A uniform is the "official" uniform, usually for indoor events like Pack meetings and formal events like Parade entries and community service.
• The Class B uniform is the T-shirt and cap, usually for outdoor den meetings.

The uniform will be specified for each meeting. Detailed descriptions are at the [Welcome page].

Pack Hikes - There are Pack hikes that are organized about once a month during the Scout Year. These are easy to strenuous. They take place all over the Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and even Monterey Bay area. Often the hikes have a secondary objective, such as history, map and compass, etc. Many of the hikes earn specialty badges. In addition to the badges, there are awards for making certain accumulated mileage milestones (t-shirts, hiking sticks, etc.).

The summertime events are

• cemetery flag placement service
• Memorial Day service and Parade
• June outdoor event
• July Beach Day
• August campout

For general information, please read http://www.pack794.gilroyscouting.org/Welcome_to_Pack_794

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Pack 794 at Troop792@yahoo.com (the Boy Scout troop that works with this Pack - this one e-mail serves the Pack, the Troop, and Venturing Crew 790). Only if you do not have e-mail then call:

• 408-843-8819 (Alan)

We look forward to seeing you at the next event!